We hear a lot these days that consumers love a great story. Maybe this goes back to our adolescent days when parents and grandparents sent us off to sweet dreams with a make-believe tale or fable.
In fact, there is some amazing storytelling happening on the radio.
One of my favorites is The Moth Radio Hour, heard on 200+ public radio stations usually over the weekend. The Moth is a fascinating mashup of storytelling and standup. People tell their stories in front of a live audience without notes. It almost always works, and hooks you in week after week.
That says a lot about the power of an interesting story. And now The New York Times reports that storytelling has made its way into the business world. Whether it’s positioning a startup for funding or getting a better job, the ability to tell a great story can be an important leg up.
It turns out that storytelling is another way of answering the question, “What makes you (or your company) so special?
Answer that, and people are drawn in. In fact, The Times says there’s an actual brain function – an increase in oxytocin – that leads to more trust and sympathy.
We all need more of that.
So for radio, I immediately think about those jock pages that populate virtually every radio station’s website. And we know from our research and countless focus groups that listeners visit them, too. They want to get to know air personalities and shows better; to form a stronger emotional connection with the people behind the mics.
But have you actually looked at many of these DJ pages? They tend to be very random and haphazard. Some contain misspellings and other grammatical errors. Some are done in a dated Dewar’s Profile style or are just throwaways. And many haven’t been updated or even reviewed since the days of Lycos, Netscape, and MySpace.
When I visit a brand new client or meet a new GM or PD for the first time, there’s that period of getting to know one another. I almost always start these conversations the same way by asking, “So how did you get into radio?”
And the answers are almost always fascinating because just about everyone has a unique journey that landed them in radio. Some people seemed to be wearing headphones in kindergarten, knowing all along they’d end up in the business. Others wandered into radio from a completely different field, forging a circuitous path to the radio industry. And of course, there’s no shortage of rock star wannabes and struggling actors and actresses whose show biz dreams that got sidetracked.
But it’s almost always an interesting saga because entertaining and informing people on the radio is a profession that isn’t for everyone. But many people would very much love to trade in their ordinary lives to be a part of what we do for a living.
As a radio personality, you can use that emotional buy-in, curiosity, and interest to tell your story in a compelling way that draws a website surfer into your narrative. You could even make the case that in these days of voicetracking and minimalist breaks, it’s even more essential to relate to an audience by telling your story.
When they get to know you better as a person, they’ll empathize with you and even root for you. Bring them into your show with an interesting narrative, get them believing in who you are, and you’ll have a loyal listener who may even tell your story to others. To truly connect with an audience, you need to let them know who you are.
Everyone has a great story.
Tell us yours.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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